Socrates, Plato, Aristotle. All of these names spring to mind when you think of ancient Greek philosophers. But have you heard that there is a genuine discussion in the Classics community as to whether Socrates was real or not? It seems like a dumb question because there’s a lot of literature on him, but much of it is actually contradictory, and none of the works of Socrates himself exists today. Let’s explore the drama!
Long Story Short
Okay, we’ll spoil it for you and then give you the details. Socrates was in all likelihood a real person. But, the details on him are foggy. We have writings on him from Plato, Xenophon, Aristotle, and more, but often the specifics on what he believed, where he lived, and what he said are contradictory.
Xenophon writes about Socrates being paid for his teaching services by his students, Plato says that Socrates never took money for teaching. It seems like a silly he-said-he-said, but these things matter when they’re the only bits of evidence we have.
Not a New Problem
Doubts on whether or not Socrates existed have been around for centuries at this point. Already in 1818, an essay by a chap named Fridrich Schleiermacher (say that five times fast) was published detailing the controversy, and that essay remains the pinnacle understanding of the problem until this day. Do you understand what that means? 1818 was the LATEST clear explanation of the problem. Schleiermacher elaborates which works he thinks are legitimately Socratic, and which are artistic interpretations. Side note: is it a rule that anyone involved in philosophy ever has to have a funny name? Food for thought.
Possible Solutions
The good news is that there are four possible likely answers. The bad news is that this is a yes or no question. And wouldn’t you know it, the answers are even more confusing than the question itself. How philosophical! You’ll have to do a deeper dive yourself for the specifics, we need a glass of wine.